Process of producing embossing or printing dies.



PATBNTED JUNE 27, 1905.

. Mc-INDOB.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING EMBOSSING OR PRINTING DIE".

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, 1904. RENEWED NOV. 30.1904.

NITED e'rn'rns Patented June 27, 1905.

PATENT @rrrcne JAMES W. MQINDOE, OF BOSTON, MASSACIIUSETIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO ARTHUR E. WHITNEY, OF WINCHESTER, MASSACIIUSEITIS.

PROCES$ OF PRODUCING EMBQSSING OR PRINTING DIES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,315, dated June 27, 1905.

Application filed March 5, 1904. Renewed November 30, I904. Serial No. 234,946.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs W. MoINDoE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Im )roved Process of Producing Embossing or r rinting Dies, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved process of producing dies having formed thereon in relief an accurate representation of a selected pattern of textile fabricas lace netting, or other loosely woven or knitted fabric-from which an exact imitation of said fabric may be embossed or rinted upon paper or other similar material and it conslsts in certain novel features of construction and mani ulation, which will be readily understoo by reference to the following description of the method of operation, in connection with the accompanying drawings, and to the claim hereto annexed, in which my invention is clearly pointed out.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a plan of a fiat die constructed in accor ance with my improved process. Fi 2 is an elevation of a fiylindrical die embo ying my invention, and

i 3 is a transverse section of the die shown in ig. 2.

In carrying out my invention I first select a suitable iece of metal, preferably steel, of the desired size and sha e, which may be a flat late 1 (shown in I ig. 1) or a cylinder 2, (s own in Fig. 2,) and said cylinder may be a tube, as shown, or a solid cylinder, said late or cylinder forming the basis or main ody of t e die. The basis of the desired size and shape when selected has its outer or face surface made true and smooth, whether flat or cylindrical, and then I coat said smooth surface with a tacky substance, as shellac, and allow it to stand till dry. I then take a piece of the desired textile fabric 3as lace, netting or other loosely woven or knitted fabric-harden it by applying thereto a coating of a suitable hardening material, as.

shellac, b brushin it thereon or immersin it in a solution of sai hardening material, a1 0w it to dry, and when dry and stifi cut it to the tinuous series of repetitions of the mttcrn or design. I then apply a thin coating of the tacky substance, as shellac, to both the metal basis and the piece of textile fabric, and when theyare nearly dry or in the proper tacky condition I place the fabric in contact with the coated surface of the metal basis and apply pressure until the fabric adheres to the basis and then apply a thin coating of said tacky substance to the en tire surface of the combined fabric and basis. When this coating is thoroughly dry and hard,I immerse the united basis and iabric in a strong solution of nitrate of silver and allow it to remain for a few minutes,when I remove it and place it in a strong light to dry, when the light will act upon the uitrate of silver and turn it quite black, and then I immerse it in a saturated solution of sulfate of iron, which immediately acts on the nitrate of silver, and a layer of metallic silver is formed over the whole surface of the combined article, which is then set in a strong light to dry. When thoroughly dry, it is p aced in an electrot ping-bath and allowed to remain until a su 'cient thickness of copper has been deposited over the entire uncovered surface of the metal basis and the fabric secured thereon, thereby completely inclosing said fabric in a thin copper covering, which enters the recesses or cavities in the fabric itself, and in the openings of said fabric is deposited directl upon the surface of the metal basis, there firmly securing all arts of said textile fafiric to said basis wit out distorting or otherwise injuring the design of the fabric, care being taken not to deposit the co per of too great a thickness, so as to fill or ridge over the cavities, and thus destroy or injure the design.

By this process a die either flat or cylindrical from which an accurate imitation of a iece of lace or other loosely woven or knitted abric may be embossed or printed on paper can be produced at a very small cost compared with en aving it by hand, and the reproduction be a more accurate imitation of the fabric than can be lfxliroduced bya hand-engraved die, and it w' have no sharp corners to cut or break the thinnest paper.

I claim- The process of producin embossing and printin dies in imitation o a selected piece of textile fabric, which consists in preparing a metallic basis of the desired sha e and size with a smoothl -finished face sur ace, a plying a tacky su stance as shellac to sai finished surface, allowi it to dry, applyin to the selected fabric a ardenjng materia as shellac, drying it, and when dry cutting it to the desired slze and shape, ap lying a thin coating of tacky substance, as s ellac, to the basis and fabric, and when nearly dry, placing said fabric in contact with the basls under pressure, till the two adhere, applying to the thereon.

united basis and iabric a thin coating of said tacky substance, drying the same immersin 2c the whole in a strong solution of nitrate 0 silver, for a few minutes,.'dryi it in a stron li ht, when immersing it m a saturate so ution of s ate of iron, then plac' it in a strong light to placing it in an e ectrotyp' -:bath to remain until a sufficientthickness fcopper has been deposited over the entire uncovered surface J of the metal basis, and the fabric secured In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

.. JAMES W. MoINDOE.

Witnesses:

N. O. LOMBARD, F. W. SMITH.

, and when thoroug y dry 2 5 

